Wire reel mounting



WIRE REEL MOUNTING original Filed Jan. 18 194?.

311 y 4 307 H.. 3a

attorney Patented ug. 4 @.1953

WIRE REEL MoUNTING John G. Wright, Charles D.` Toney, Charles A. Watkins, and Eugene Sudan, Atlanta, and William A. Maxwell, Duluth, Ga., assignors to The Auto-Soler Georgia Company, a corporation of Original application January 18, 1947, Serial No.

722,806, now Patent No. 2,571,984, dated October 16, 1951. Divided and this application December 13, 1950, Serial No.V 207,889

Claims. (Cl. 242-68) This invention relates to fastener forming and inserting machines, and more especially to a nailing machine which is adapted particularly for Woodworking operations, and -by which fasteners are formed from a continuous length of wire or the like and inserted in material to be secured. This is a division of our copending application Serial No. 722,806, led January 18, 1947, now U. S. Patent No. 2,571,984, granted October 16, 1951. The present divisional application is directed particularly to features of the arrangement provided for mounting the wire supply reel.

' In the drawing:

Fig. 1.,is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the arrangement for mounting the wire reel;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the wire reel mounting;

Fig. 4 is a further sectional detail illustrating the arrangement for removing the wire reel from the mounting; and

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the yieldable guide member used to avoid fouling of the Wire on the Wire reel.

The provision for mounting a supply of wire according to the present invention as indicated at 300 in Fig. 1 is illustrated more in detail in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive. As a supply of wire is most conveniently handled in roll form, the mounting means 300 comprises a reel member 30| arranged to accommodate the supply of wire (represented at 302 in Fig. 1) as a roll. The reel member 30| is formed with a web portion 303 from Which lateral arms 304 extend to support the roll of wire 302, and a hub portion 305 having a bore 300 (see Figs. 3 and 4) adapting the reel member 30| for rotative support on a spindle 301 xed on the upper frame section |03 as shown at 308 in Figs. 2 and 3.

A retaining member 309 forming a second web portion is associated with reel member 30| for conning the supply of wire 302 on lateral arms 304. The hub portion 305 of reel member 30| is redu-ced in diameter toward its extending end to receive and position the retaining member 309, and the extending end of hub portion 305 is threaded to engage a wing nut 3|0 or the like to secure retaining member 309 in association with reel member 30|.

The spindle 301 is provided in a length suf- `i-lcient to extend beyond the hub portion 305 for spaced disposition of a retaining element 3|| at its extending end. The extending end of spindle 301 is slotted for this purpose, and the retaining element 3| is assembled in the manner of a clevis with spindle 301'by a pivot pin 3 l2. This retaining element 3|| is used as a stop for a resilient positioning means, such as spring 3|3, provided to locate the reel member 30| on spindle 301 in relation to the machine. As shown in the drawing (Figs. 3 and 4), spring 3|3 is disposed on spindle 301 and bottomed in a counterbore 3|4 formed in hub portion 305. Accordingly, when retaining element 3| I is extended from spindle 301 as a stop, spring 3|3 is confined between retaining element 3|| and hub portion 305 to position the reel member 30| on spindle 301. A washer 3|5 may be inserted at the bottom of counterbore 3|4 to avoid any tendency of spring 3 I3 to bind upon rotation of reel member 30|.

It should also be noted that retaining element 3|| is formed in a width no greater than the diameter of spindle 301, so that it may be pivoted to nest in the slotted end of spindle 301 as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. This arrangement makes it possible, by compressing spring 3|3 slightly to pivot retaining element 3|I and release spring 3|3 so that reel member 30| with the retaining member 309 assembled in place may be removed easily from the machine whenever desired; for example, when a diierent gauge of wire is to be used, in which case the new wire size may be disposed on another mounting means 300 to replace the one removed, which may then be used to store the former size wire for ready replacement. The new mounting means 300 is positioned by fitting spring 3|3 in place on spindle 301, and then compressing it slightly to allow retaining element 3|| to be pivoted to an extending position again as a stop.

On the other hand, if the supply of wire 302 is exhausted and it is desired to replenish this supply, the retaining member 309 may be removed alone from the mounting means 300, by removing wing nut 3I0, both of which may be taken off of spindle 301 with retaining element 3|| in extending position. A new roll of wire 302 may then be placed on the lateral arms 300 of reel member 30|, and the retaining member 309 and wing nut 3|0 replaced, without disturbing any other elements of the mounting means 300. The abovel described arrangement accordingly provides selective means for removing the reel member 305 assembled with retaining member 309, or retaining member 309 alone, from spindle 301 as desired.

Wire is fed from the mounting means 300 by an intermittent action timed to the cyclic actuation of the fastener forming and fastener inserting operations, andthis intermittent feeding exerts a jerking pull on the wire. To condition reel member against coasting and consequent tangling of the wire as a result of this jerking pull, a braking surface is provided to restrain rotation of reel member 30| except under the load imposed by the above mentioned feeding action. This braking surface comprises an element 3|6 formed of a suitable friction material, Such as leather. A convenient form for element 3|G is as a washer surrounding spindle 30.' and disposed on upper frame structure |03 with a surface in contact with reel member 30|. The element 3|0 may be prevented from turning with reel member 30| by a screw fastening it to frame structure |03 as indicated at 3|'|. Reel member 30| is held against element 3|6 by the pressure of spring 313, and while reel member 30| is free to rotate on spindle 301 to allow wire to be dispensed during feed, it is effectively restrained against rotation by the element 3|6 except under the load of the feeding action.

The above noted intermittent nature of the feeding action also causes diiculty in fouling of the wire 302 on reel member 30|. This fouling results from the tendency of the jerking pull during feeding to imbed the winding of wire Abeing fed in the other windings of roll 302 which causes wrapping and consequent binding of the windings. To obviate this result, a yieldable guide member 3 I8 is disposed on the machine to direct wire, as indicated at 3| 3 in Fig. 1, from reel member 30| for feeding.

The guide member 3|8 is mounted on a bracket 320 carried by upper frame structure |03, and is formed of a material such as spring steel combining sufficient strength and resilience for handling the wire 3|9. from bracket 320 with a normally substantially straight disposition for a major portion of its length (see Fig. l) such as to direct the Wire 3|9 from reel member 30| without bending it beyond the curvature it has assumed in roll 302 A directing eye 32| is arranged at the extending end of guide member- 3|8, and this extending end is angled, as at 322, with respect to the remaining body toward the reel member 30| in a generally tangent direction (as seen in Fig. l) so as to -allow guide member 3|8 to flex under the load of the feeding action without causing wire 3|9 to drag over its full extent. Beyond guide member 3|B, the Wire 3|9 is trained through further directing eyes 323 on bracket 320.

With this arrangement, the guide member 3|8 is disposed to yield under the jerking pull incident to the intermittent feeding action and thus absorb the resulting shock. As guide member 3|8 is resilient, however, it will spring back to its original position upon recovery from this shock, and will accordingly exert dispensing pull on wire 3 9 to rotate reel member 30| suiiciently to make up for the wire fed. When relatively long fasteners are being formed and a correspondingly long feeding stroke is required, a combination of flexing by guide member 3|B and rotation of reel member 30| may occur in dispensing the required length of wire 3|9..` Y.But in any case, as the reel member 30| is restrained against rotation by the braking surface of friction element 3 6, guide member 3 i8 will flex rst to absorb the irregularity in dispensing tension diie to the jerking pull of the intermittent. feed- Guide member 3|8 extends l.

ing and thereby avoid fouling of the Wire 3|9 on reel member 30 As noted above, the fastener'formingeand insorting machine of the present invention is particularly adapted for Woodworking operations,

- and the arrangement of the various operating elevmember formed with a bore adapting said reel member for rotative support on said spindle, a retaining member removably disposed on said hub portion in association with said reel member for confining a supply of wire on said reel member, means removably engaging said hub portion for retaining said reel member and associated retaining member in assembled relation, and retaining means disposed adjacent the extending end of said spindle for positioning said reel member and said associated retaining member thereon, said last mentioned retaining means being arranged for maintaining its positioning disposition while allowing said retaining member to be removed for renewing a supply of wire on said reel member, or for manipulation to allow said reel member and associated retaining member'to be withdrawn as a unit, from said spindle.

2. The mounting means defined in claim l further characterized in that an element formed of friction material is fixed surrounding said spindle to provide a braking surface restraining said reel member against rotation except under load, and a resilient. element. is disposed over said spindle in association with said last mentioned retaining means for pressing said reel member against said friction material element.

3. A reel assembly for dispensing wire from a roll comprising a spindle adapted for attachment to a supporting structure, a reel member having a hub portion formed with a bore adapting said reel member for rotative support on said spindle, a flange member removably disposed on said hub portion in association with said reel member for confining a roll of wire on said reel member, a retaining element. mounted at the extending end of said spindle, 'resilient means disposed on said spindle between said retaining element and said hub portion for. positioning said reel member on said spindle, means'for manipulating Said retaining element. to release said resilient means and allow removal of said reel member and said associated flange member as a unit from said spindle, and means for removing said associated flange member alone to allow replacement of an exhausted wire supply cn said reel member while allowing said retaining element to maintain its positioning disposition for said reel member on said spindle.

4. A device for dispensing wire from a roll comprising a rotatably supported reel member arranged to accommodate a roll of wire. and a Wire withdrawal guiding means incorporating Wire guides disposed in fixed relation to. said reel member and a yieldable guide arm extending from said fixed wire guides toward said reel member for receiving and directing wire from said reel member to said fixed wire guides,.the major portion of said yieldable guide arm normally having a substantially straight disposi tion and an extending end portion thereof being angled toward said reel member in a generally tangent direction, and said guide arm being yieldable toward the axis of said reel member to absorb irregularities in dispensing tension on said wire and thereby avoid fouling of the wire on said reel member, the normal substantially straight disposition of said guide arm allowing said yielding while still providing for directing wire from said reel member at a curvature greater than that at whcih the wire is disposed on said reel member.

5. Means for mounting a supply of wire in roll form for dispensing intermittently, said means comprising a fixed spindle, an element formed of friction material xed surrounding said spindle to provide a braking surface, a reel member having a hub portion formed with a bore adapting said reel member for rotative support on said spindle, means disposed at the extending end of said spindle for positioning said reel member thereon and incorporating a resilient element for pressing said hub portion against the braking surface provided by said friction material element and thereby restraining said reel member against rotation except under load, and wire guiding means disposed for directing the dispensing of wire from said reel member, said guiding means incorporating xed wire guides on said machine and a resilient guide arm extending therefrom toward said reel member for receiving and directing wire to said rst mentioned wire guides, the major portion of said guide arm normally having a substantially straight disposition and an extending end portion thereof being angled toward said reel member in a generally tangent direction and tted with a, directing eye member, and said guide arm being yieldable toward the axis of said reel member to absorb irregularities in dispensing tension on said wire and thereby avoid fouling of the Wire on said reel member, the normal substantially straight disposition of said guide arm allowing said yielding while still providing for directing Wire from said reel member at a curvature greater than that at which the Wire is disposed on said reel member.

JOI-IN G. WRIGHT. CHARLES D. TONEY. CHARLES A. WATKINS'. EUGENE SUDAN. W'ILLIAM A. MAXWELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 84,065 Locke Nov. 1'7, 1868 143,137 Goddu Sept. 23, 1873 398,127 Calley Feb. 19, 1889 1,139,890 Metzroth May 18, 1915 1,388,846 Brock Aug. 30, 1921 1,462,487 De Vry July 24, 1923 2,253,848 Cummings Aug. 26, 1941 2,265,423 Fass Dec. 9, 1941 2,417,818 Finn Mar. 25, 1947 

